Baby Mahi loses battle for life; probe ordered

Gurgaon: In a tragic development, after 90 long hours of anxiety and hope, rescuers on Sunday pulled out five-year-old Mahi`s body from the 70-feet-deep borewell, in which she had fallen on Wednesday night.

The doctors at ESI Hospital in Manesar declared that the five-year-old baby was brought dead.

According to the doctors, Mahi had died soon after she fell into the borewell. Her body was today recovered in a decomposed state, they added.

The rescue team pulled out the child at 1.38 pm after tireless efforts spanning over four days. She was immediately shifted to an ambulance stationed at the site and then rushed to the ESI Hospital.

It may be noted that Mahi had not shown any movement for a long time before being pulled out of the borewell.
While oxygen was constantly supplied to Mahi ever since the rescue operation began, she did not have water or food for over 86 hours. A CCTV camera had also been lowered into the borewell to track the child’s movement.

Rescuers had last night managed to pierce a hard rock -- a major hurdle which they had been struggling to break for the last two days. The slab was located in the horizontal tunnel between the borewell and the pit dug up to rescue the child.

Mahi fell into the borewell at Kho village near Manesar while playing with her friends on June 20, her fourth birthday.
Over 100 officials from the Army, fire department, police, Gurgaon Rapid Metrorail, health and revenue departments, and locals were involved in drilling the pit parallel to the borewell.

Meanwhile, Haryana government ordered a magisterial probe into the death of the four-year-old girl.

"A magisterial inquiry has been ordered in the case," Gurgaon District Magistrate P C Meena said.

He said a case has also been registered against Rohatash Tayal, the landowner who had dug up the borewell.

Tayal has been absconding and the state police have sent out two teams to trace him.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda condoled the death of Mahi and said her family would be adequately compensated.

Hoping to get the inquiry report at the earliest, Hooda said those found guilty would not be spared.

As it is mandatory to seek permission of the Deputy Commissioner to dig a borewell in Gurgaon as per the direction of the High Court, a separate case of contempt of court would also be initiated against Tayal, a spokesman of the district administration said.

The inquiry would be conducted by Additional Deputy Commissioner Gurgaon M Pandurang.